Buffalo Bills Tarpley was signed by the
Buffalo Bills as an
undrafted free agent following the
2015 NFL draft. On November 30, 2015, he was waived. On December 2, 2015, the Bills signed Tarpley to the practice squad, and on December 10, 2015, Tarpley was promoted to the active roster. Tarpley recorded his first career interception against the
Dallas Cowboys on December 28, 2015. In Week 17 against the
New York Jets on January 3, 2016, Tarpley made the game-ending interception that gave the Bills a 22–17 victory and knocked the Jets out of playoff contention. The interception turned out to be the final play of his career. On April 6, 2016, Tarpley announced that he was retiring after just one season, citing his health, having suffered his third and fourth career concussions the previous season. He explained the decision in an essay submitted to
Sports Illustrated.
Return to football Less than three years after announcing his retirement, Tarpley returned to football in 2019 when he joined the
San Diego Fleet of the
Alliance of American Football. In the third game of the
2019 AAF season against the
San Antonio Commanders, Tarpley intercepted
Logan Woodside and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. He was subsequently named AAF Defensive Player of the Week. The league ceased operations in April 2019. Tarpley later joined the
XFL, where he was selected by the
DC Defenders in the open phase of the
2020 XFL draft. He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020. ==Personal life==